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Onsdagsdrager, Sess. 3 - 15.08.2018
Previous session Next session Upstream, along the river flowing from beneath the Silk Ribbon Cascades, comes a great riverbarge heralded by lusty pirate shanties. Ilvalin is in a good mood. The heist is nearly complete. As the barge draws near to the falls, a figure bathing in the falling waters waves the barge closer. Andrei, the boatman and his crew quickly ascertain the situation. All deadweight is trimmed from the broken down wagon inside the sewers, and a pump is used to empty it of water. It is floated to the riverbarge, and using a crane and all the passengers for counterweight, the armored transport is brought on board. Safely on the riverbarge, Renart orders Notker, Cillian, NikNak and Ilvalin to bring the corpses of the dead mercenaries, and the dead wizard Skepilos into the salt marshes lining the riverbank, and bury them somewhere they won't be found. The riverbarge heads for the sea, downstream, and close to The Whore's Mouth, the place that Andrei and his crew call home, the two captive mercenaries of Petr and Istamis are thrown off the barge - with threats of death and destruction should they snitch, and promises of gold and prosperity if they keep mum. The riverbarge continues south, heading for Kon Reliya - a smaller village, where guildnobles and other wealthy folk keep vacation homes and enjoy the seaside. It arrives at this destination around nightfall. Here, Nordbert goes with the party to awaken Noussah - the local thieves guild master, and an old and loyal friend of Renart's - one of the only ones he claims to trust under the circumstances. Noussah is a big and fat jovial character, who offers the party baths and lodgings, as well as having their clothes cleaned in his fancy whorehouse. Meanwhile, rogues working for Noussah are called to help with the cargo - Abdullah, Hunna, Nin, Ivanos and Aisha. The cargo is secured in a mostly empty warehouse, with a big and padlocked door, and the party heads back to sleep, while Andrei and his crew sail back to the Whore's Mouth. The next morning, the party heads out to do some shopping and unload goods seized during the heist. They manage to secure a few gemstones, and a pearl for Nordbert to help him identify things. Using this, they succesfully find out what a few of the wizard Skepilos' trinkets do, and fail to discover the true nature of a few other things. All this is achieved through Ivanos - who is also the main fence for Noussahs operation in Kon Reliya. He is a scoundrel and a haggler beyond belief, with an acid-scarred hand and a missing eye. Finally, the party debates what to do about the cursed and locked wagon. Reaching no definite conclusion between them, Sammy explores the magical properties of the cursed cage by throwing a lobster through the bars (it becomes covered in rime) and banging a stick around inside the bars (a horrible demon appears to murder everyone) Through a tough and drawn-out (but really annoyingly handily won) fight, the party kills the invisible winddemon, and manage to unlock the cage. No one manages to discover the demons heart, which floats away (perhaps to appear some other time?). In the cage is 327 gold tradebars of 1 kg each, and 4 platinum tradebars. A kings ransom. Also, in one additional chest is an octahedron of sandstone, seemingly smooth, but radiating an aura of divination magic. Nordbert tries and fails to identify it, and Sammy focuses very hard on it, and reaches out with his magical powers - with the thought let me in - answered by a calm voice from inside, stating inside his mind ''let me out. '' There follows, some very vigorous debate about whether sammy should stop messing with the magical object, and Sammy proves stubborn against persuasion by the others. Finally, things come to a head as Tross attempts to physically stop Sammy from touching the magical artifact, to which Sammy responds by attacking Tross with lethal force in the form of magic. Tross is struck down immediately, and Aneurin begins to attack Sammy, while Aziz grabs the artifact. In the end, Nordbert interferes, yelling at everyone and stomping off with the artifact - and we fade out.